Inflation valve



J. vow ET AL. y 3,900

.INFLATEON VALVE r Filed- Jan. 1o, 1958.

' A rroRNEx/J retenes pee. is, rese rNFLA'rIoN VALVE william J. veit, Les Angeles, and Leith c. weimer, Southgate, Calif., assignors, by mesne assignments, to said William J. Volt Application January 10, v1938, Serial No. 184,122 1 Claims. (ci. 27s-ss) This invention relates to an inatable athletic ball or other inflatable object, and, particularly to the ination valve and 'its structural relation to the ball.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve which shall be made entirely oi! rubber or other resilient material. y Another object is to provide a valve and a manner of assembly thereof with the ball which shall eiectively prevent the escape of vair or other gas of ination from the interior of the ball.

Another object is to provide a valve and a 'manner'of assembly thereof with the ball which shall be capable of ready and easy operation for the repeated admission and emission of air or other inating gas to or from the interior of the ball.

Another object is to provide a valve of the kind described which shall` be simple in construetion, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable under long continued and hard usage.

Another object `of our invention'is tol provid an assembly of valve and ball ,which shall ensure proper registry oi the onewith the other, and will present a smooth exterior surface devoid of exposed'metallic elements or projections of anyv kind.

Another object is to provide a valve structure of which the operative core shall be readilyremovable for replacement when worn or rendered inoperative. A Another object is to provide a valve structure which shall be especially adaptable for the infiation of a ball having a continuous one-piece outer wall without opening other than the valve opening.

Embodiments oi' our invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

of the valve and transversely of the ball along the plane of an arc of one of the great circles of the bali, which plane bisects the valve longiv tudinally. A

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the Fig. 3 is a cross sectional line 3 3 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal section of the valve housing.-

Fig-'5`is aside elevational view partly in section of the valve core.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1-, but of a modifled construction.

Fig. 'l is a view similar to Fig. 1, of a valve and view taken alpng the Fig. l-is a sectionallview taken longitudinally ball, the ball consisting in this form'of a single vrubber wallA without cover of leather, rubber, or

other material.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view partly in section of a modiiied form of -valve core.v

Referring to'the drawing', the ball shown in Figure 1 has an inner bladder II, and an outer cover I2 of leather, rubber, 'or other material. A valve housing I3 has the general form of a hollow cylinder, with a cylindrical side wall Mi, a lower end wall I5 and an upper end wall It. This upper erid wall I6 is provided with an annu- A lar ilange I'I which tapers outwardly in cross section and the under face of which is rigidly secured by vulcanization or adhesive means to'the 1 upper face oian inwardly flared annular portion I8 of the bladder II. This portion I8 has a central aperture I9in which is concentrically positioned the upper end of the cylindrical wall I4.

The central portion of the upper end wall I6 of the housing, and the outer ball cover I2 have circular aligned openings -20 and 2I respectively n which is snugly tted neck 22 of a valve core 23. The lower end wall I5 of the housing is formed with a central. opening 24, which is axially aligned with the openings 20 and 2 I. The outer face 25 of the upper wall I6 and'flange Il is of spherical shape with the same degree of curvature as that of the bladder II.

The valve core 23 is formed with appreciably greaterdimensions than the housing cavity 2G fin which it is seated, with respect to both its inserting the valve core therein. The valve core isgenerally cylindrical in shape, with acylindrical body 21 and the cylindrical neck 22. 'I'his neck is moulded withv a projecting end 28, shown in dotted lines inl Fig'. 1 which lafter the'parts of the ball are assembled and vulcanizedand the core inserted in the vulcanized ball, is cut oil flush with the'outer surface of the ball cover I2.

The operation .of assembling the valve parts andball can be accomplished in any suitable manner. VAccording toone method, the under face of the flange I'I of the housing is coated with rubber cement, the housing is inserted in theopening I9 of. the bladder, and the under face of the f iiange I'I is brought into contact with the upper 20 in the upper end wall I6 ofthe housing, and I of flange |1 and upper end wall I3 are then coated with rubber cement, and material of uncured rubber for the .cover is applied thereto in such manner as to leave the opening 2| of the cover in registry with the opening 20 of the housing. The bladder, housing, and cover are then cement serves to secure the core in position and to prevent the passage of air between the housing and core from the interior of the ball to the outside. When damaged or worn, the core can be removed from the housing and replaced with a new core, since the rubber cement between haus-- ing and core has notl been vulcanized with heat and readily yields to the severing pull by which the core is extracted from its housing.

If the outer cover |2 is of leather, it is applied in any suitable manner after the core has been then inserted in the housing. The neck 22 of the core is then out off flush with-the outer surface of the cover as before. If an intermediate fabric reinforcing wall is utilized in making the ball, the process of manufacture is modied accordingly. If the ball is made with a removable bladder or center and the outer cover is made of leather, it may be provided witha suitable laced opening through which to insert and remove the center. This opening may be adjacent and communicating with the opening 2| or at an other position in the1 cover of the ball.

The valve core 23 is cast with a cavity 29 disposed on the longitudinal axis of the core and midway of the ends of the core bod;1 21. It is also cast with a normally closed axial bore 30 which extends from the upper end of the neck 22 to the cavity 29. The end ofthe bore is enlarged at 33 to facilitate the entrance of an inilating needle. Another normally closed. axial bore 3|, extending from the cavity 29 to the lower end of the core and registering with the opening 24, is preferably formed by piercing the lower portion of the core with a Suitable piercing tool inserted through the bore 30 and driven through the lower portieril of the core. The cavity 29 is lled with glycerine or a` similar viscous liquid 35 lfor the double purpose of lubricating the infl'ating needle and sealing the bores 30 and 3| both when the inilating needle is in operative position and during periods 'of use be- `tween 'inflations The ca vity is generally spherical but is preferably formed with an extension 32 at its lower end to assist in guiding the inflating needle axially centrally through the valve core and opening 24.

` Before the core is inserted in the 'valve housing I3, rubber bands 33 are tightly wound and tied in position in annular grooves 34 formed. on the l iniating operation and at other times. A ball The rubber is added the sumx letter b.

and valve constructed in accordance with our invention provides ample means for accomplishing 'this purpose. The valve core, being of normally greater size than the cavity in the housing, is under constriction when assembled in the housing. The bores 30 and 3| which are open prior to insertion of the core in the housing (see Fig. 5) are closed when the core is inserted in the housing except when these bores are occupied by an inating needle. The rubber bands 33 afford an additional means for constricting the core body. The cavity 29 allows this constrictive action to effect longitudinal movement toward the cavity, of the rubber of the upper and lower axial portions of the core body, which tends to facilitate the closing of the bores 30 and 3|. The glycerine or other viscous material 35 acts to seal the bores against the passage of the gas, either between the needle and the Walls of the bores 30 and 3| during the operation of inflation, or through the bore passages when unoccupied by the infiating needle.-

In the modified construction embodying our invention, shown in Fig. 6, parts corresponding to those described above and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 are designated by the same numerals to which is added the suilix letter a. In this construction the centralization of the valve housing in the outer cover |2a lis effected not by a neck formed on the upper end of the core body, but by a neck 36 which is formed at its lower end with an annular flange 31 which tapers radially outwardly in radial cross section. This flange has an outer spherical surface to conform to the outer surface of bladder Hd and an inner substantially plane surface adapted to fit upon and be secured to the similar plane upper surface of annular flange |1a of valve housing |3a by vulcanlzation or adhesive means. In assembling the parts of this modified form of valve construction, the housing |3a, bladder` |a and cover |2a are assembled and permanently united by vulcaniz'atlon or otherwise. The4 valve core 23a is then inserted'in the valve housing. The neck 36 with vits flange 31 is then placed in position With'flange 31 in contact with flange |1a and neck 38 in contact with neck 22a of the core 23a. Outer end 28aof the valve neck 33 is-cut oi flush with the outer surface of the cover |2a. The neck 33 is formed with an axial bore 38 which is somewhat larger in' diameter than the bore 30a in order to facilitate the entrance of the inflating needle.

Fig. 7 lshows a valve constructed in accordance with our invention assembled with a rubber ball having a single wall. Parts corresponding to those described above and shown in Figs. 1 to 5 are designated by the same numerals to which Rubber wall ||b of the ball is thicker than the wall Il of the bladder shown in Fig. 1 in order that the ball may resist puncture and the abrading effects incident to the use of the ball in play. The valve is constructed the same as that shown in Fig. 1. 'I'his vilgure also shows the manner in which the valve functions during the process of ination of the ball. A hollow inflating needle 40, supplied' with air or other gas through an attached hose 4| (shown in'dotted lines in Fig. '1), is introduced into bore 30h and forced through the valve core, passing successively through the 'bore 30h, cavity 23h, bore 3| b, opening 24h, and on into the inthrough` the bore of the needle and. issues from an aperture 42 at the lower end. of the needle.

'terior of the ball. The air or gas is then passed -aisaaoo or' the glycerine 35h stored in thecavity adheres to the needle and is carried downwardly therewith Aand acts both to facilitate the movement of the needle through the b ore Sib and to lprevent vthe passage lof air backward between the needle andthe interior wall of thebore. -Similarly, when the needle is withdrawn the glycerine again lubricates the needle in its movement through the bore 38h and assists in sealing both bores 30h and Bib` against leakage of the iniiating gas from the ball interior. f' Flg..8 shows a modied form gCore 23e is made in two parts,1an upper part 23 and :a lower part 23", which abut each other in a. plane bisecting the cavity 29e'. A thin rubber envelope 4I extending from neck 22o down v around the outer' cylindrical walls o! the-parts' 23' and 23"- and acrossthe lower end oi' part 23'? serves to hold the two core parts in assembled position. It is provided with a small aperture u v, to permit insertion o f the inating needle. Rubber bands 33e encircle the envelope 43 which conforms to grooves under the constrictive action of the bands. In this modified -form of valve core, we prefer `to make bores 30e and lic by casting the c ore parts in solid form andthereaiter-forcing a piercingtool axially through them. l

By this bi-partite construction of the valve core,

. slipped overthe two core parts. and tied thereon with the bands 33e. The core parts are then axially pierced toprovide the bores 30e and llc. While we have shown and described several embodimentsoi our invention we do not wish 'to be dened our invention in the following claims. We claim as our invention: l v

l. In an iniiating valve, the combination of fany outer housing formed with an interior `cylinchamber and engagingsaid end walls respectivedrical chamber having end walls transverse of the axis of said chamber and an opening in each .oi said end walls; and a rubber valve core formed with a gas passage therethrough, saidcore snug-` lylamng within said chamber and having two walls arrangedv transversely of the axis oi said ly, thedistance between saidtransverse walls when" said core is not longitudinally compressed being oi'. normally greater length than the disss tance between ,said end walls. whereby, when said valve` structure 'is assembled, said core is longi- 's tudinally compressed and shortened. v- 2. In an inating valve. the combination of:

an-elastic valvemember formed with a longitudinalgas passageand 'an enlarged, relatively short cavity in said gas passage; a y.

'viscous non-plastic ,liquid having the physical properties of glycerine disposed in said cavity;

- and means for constricting said valve member to ss closesaidgaspassage.;

the manufacture. of the core is more readily ac-I limited to these specic constructions', but have of valve core. v

3. In an iniiating valve, the combination of:

an outer valve housing formed with a longi-V tudinally arranged interior chamber; and an inner elastic core disposed within said chamber and formed with va longitudinal gas passage and an' enlarged, relatively-short cavity disposed along said gas passage intermediate of its ends, the

housing and core being shaped and dimensioned to effect a. reduction of the diameter of said cavity whenA said core is introduced into said housing. .V g

4. In an infiating valve, the combination of: an elastic outer valve housing-formed-with a longitudinally arranged interior chamber; and an inner elastic core disposed in said chamber and formed with a longitudinal gaspassage and anenlarged, relatively short cavity disposed along saidugas passage intermediate of its ends, Asaid housing and core being shaped so that when said core is introduced into said housing av centripetally directed, constrictive force is exerted upon the core tending to reduce the diameter of said cavity, said cavity 'having a viscous liquid disposed therein.

, s. i'rne cgmbmauon in an inmune valve or:

' a bipartite valve member formed with a longitudinal gas passage through both parts of said valve-member and an enlarged, relatively short cavitydisposed along said gas/passage, the meeting faces ofthe two parts 9i. said member being disposed in a plane across the axis of said gas passage and intersecting said cavity; and a thin membranous, elastic envelope surrounding said parts and provided with openings registering with the ends of said gas passage.

6. In lan* iniiating valve, the combination oi: an outer housing of rubber formed with an interior chamber having lateral walls and end walls,

each of said end walls having an opening therein; f v

and a rubber valve core having a cross-sectional area of similar shapej and greater dimensions than that of said interior chamber and with transverse faces fitting within said end walls,

the distance between saidtransverse faces being.

normally greater than the distance between said end faces. said core being formed of two con- 4 tiguously placed parts, each having an` axial bore and a depression formed on and centrally. of that face which contacts the other part, said depressions forming,l when said partsl are assembled, a

completed cavity communicating with said bores.

. 7. In an iniiating valve. the combination oi: an upper, centrally bored rubber valve core; a lower, centrally bored rubber valve core; a jacketing. means for holding said cores in axially aligned relationship; and two localized means associated with said jacketing means andeach pressing inwardly upon an associated one of said cores intermediate its ends and adapted to prevent longitudinal displacement of said core relative to ,said jacketing means, said cores and jacketing means being shaped and dimensioned to provide a chamber between said cores. C .A

Y WILLIAM J. VOIT.

' Lm'rac. als 

